A writer for the upcoming “Obi-Wan Kenobi” series recently explained what the galaxy far, far away will feel like 10 years after “Revenge of the Sith.”
The backdrop: “Obi-Wan Kenobi” — the new “Star Wars” Disney+ series — will tell the story of what happened to Obi-Wan Kenobi after the events of the feature film “Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith.”
- At that time, the new Galactic Empire is in full force, Darth Vader is hunting down Jedi and Obi-Wan has stayed in hiding on Tatooine.
Driving the news: “Obi-Wan Kenobi” series writer Joby Harold recently told Entertainment Weekly that the show will explore the galaxy after Order 66 — the executive order from Emperor Palpatine that killed the Jedi — and the impacts of that decision.
What he said: “It takes place 10 years after ‘Revenge of the Sith,’ in a time of darkness in the galaxy,” Harold told Entertainment Weekly.
- “The Empire is in the ascendancy. And all the horrors that come with the Empire are being made manifest throughout the galaxy. And the Jedi Order as we know them are being all but wiped out. So everything that was in the prequels has crumbled.”
The bigger picture: There’s a sense of foreboding and darkness surrounding “Obi-Wan Kenobi” and its characters, according to recent interviews from those involved in the project.
- Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy said the original version of “Obi-Wan Kenobi” was too dark for audiences and the scripts were reworked to add in a sense of hope for the series.
- Ewan McGregor, who plays Obi-Wan Kenobi, said Obi-Wan will be “a broken man after what happened with the Jedi order” and Anakin Skywalker in “Revenge of the Sith.”
- Multiple reports suggest Darth Vader — who will make his return in “Obi-Wan Kenobi” — will be an angrier and darker version of the character than we’ve seen before, too.
The bottom line: Expect “Obi-Wan Kenobi” to put its characters in a dark place with a dash of hope toward the end of the show.